In an ongoing effort to strengthen public healthcare systems, Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration, Pinky Kekana, conducted an oversight visit to Bela-Bela Hospital in Limpopo on Thursday.
The visit aimed to assess service delivery, infrastructure, and the hospital’s overall readiness to meet the local community’s healthcare needs.
Bela-Bela Hospital, built in 1952, is grappling with ageing infrastructure, a significant challenge impacting service quality. The oversight visit forms part of broader government efforts to identify challenges and implement rapid interventions to improve public health facilities.
As part of the initiative, and in partnership with the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), Deputy Minister Kekana also handed over essential medical equipment to the hospital. The donation will enhance patient comfort, improve healthcare service delivery, and support the hospital’s infrastructure.
Deputy Minister Kekana handed over the items that included new bedding and linen, janitorial trolleys, and cleaning equipment to support infection control, patient care and food-grade service items for the wards, as well as groundskeeping industrial equipment and trimmers to help maintain a safe, clean, and healing environment.
She described the donation as part of implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI) that seeks to provide universal access to healthcare services. “As a government, we value the quality healthcare service the hospital renders to people of Limpopo, Gauteng and the North-West provinces.
“We believe that the donated items will greatly contribute to service delivery, and we expect the hospital staff to take care of the donation,†she said.
The items handed over to the hospital management were donated by the fastest-growing medical scheme, the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS).
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, GEMS Board member, Mr Alvin Rapea, said during the Deputy Minister’s last visit to the hospital, several challenges and constraints were identified that require coordinated support from provincial and national governments.
“Our joint mission in this visit is to assess the current situation at Bela-Bela Hospital, determine the additional capacity the province needs, and identify areas where national support can be most effective.
“Most importantly, this engagement will initiate a structured process to provide support. As GEMS we are here to play our part by to that effort†he said.
Bela-Bela Hospital is a public health facility in Limpopo that provides level one clinical care to the town and surrounding communities.
“We know that improving healthcare is not only about grand policy commitments, but also about meeting basic needs on the ground. In that spirit, through our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme, GEMS is proud to donate a range of essential medical equipment and supplies tailored to the hospital’s needs†he said.
According to Rapea, the donated items were identified in consultation with the hospital’s management, adding that the total value of the contribution is approximately R424,000, an investment GEMS is making in the health and dignity of everyone the hospital serves.
“Through this initiative, we demonstrate that GEMS’s commitment extends to the broader community’s well-being, which aligns with our CSI objective to empower and uplift communities and promote better health outcomes.
“Over the past twenty years, our scheme has grown steadily; we now serve over 2,4 million beneficiaries and are South Africa’s largest restricted medical scheme.
“With this national footprint comes a deep responsibility: we are committed to helping build a stronger public health system and supporting the government’s vision of healthcare for all.
“Every initiative we undertake is guided by the goal of equitable, quality healthcare for the communities in which our members and fellow citizens live in,†he said.
Bela-Bela Hospital’s Head of Institution, Dr Tshepiso Rapholo said they have 165 nursing personnel, 74 professional nurses, 31 enrolled nurses, 57 enrolled nursing assistants, 19 speciality nurses and 18 medical Doctors.
“As a hospital, we value and appreciate the impact of the Deputy Minister’s oversight visit to our health facility with 133 beds,†he said.
